Rockford Fosgate tried it with the MP3.8 and Blaupunkt had one, too. Neither succeeded. I’m sure I am missing others that tried to bring gobs of music to vehicles easily that just could not pull off the great idea. None of these products had the hottest brand name etched into its back: iPod.

Apple should introduce a faceless iPod. Basically, just a hard drive unit that you can easily dock and sync with iTunes. All your movies, music, and photos would sync onto the unit just like any other iPod with a screen but you wouldn’t use this for portable enjoyment for your eyes. No, this would only be used in a car, friends home connected to a TV, or even a business for music or video display on external devices. Heck, there are tons of uses for this kind of headless device. I’m sure by removing the ClickWheel and screen, Apple could shave easily $100 if not more off the price of the iPod. Maybe even add a second drive and logically fuse them together as one large drive. It’s a market Apple hasn’t tried but one that exists already.

I rarely use my iPods screen as it sits in my trucks “glove” compartment 24/7. It only comes out for syncs and an occasional use on my belt or drop into an iPod boom-box. But for the most part, it’s in my truck always. I’m not the only one doing this and I would venture to say there is a lot of people using their iPod for the same thing I am: CD changer replacement in the car. With its high density, easy navigation with nearly every after-market and OEM car stereo, the screen on the iPod is no longer needed with this endless music source inside the dark cavern of many glove boxes. We just want our music – all of our music – with us where ever we go. The iPod does that for us.

To remove the expense not needed, a new venue of revenue could be created for Apple. I know many would buy the iPod Car just for the mere purpose of having one for their car. Keeping their 5G iPod for the gym or bike ride or what ever it might be is perfect for the screen version. For those smaller needed amounts of music play, the shuffle will still gladly fill the void. Top that off with the iPhone and now Apple has all bases covered. Home run.

So where Blaupunkt and Rockford failed, Apple would easily succeed. Hopefully its something that it’ll consider and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get that 200GB iPod for my truck after all.

Okay, now Altec Lansing has just released the inMotion iMV712, I’ve got to ask, “Where’s the car video version?” Alpine, Pioneer, Sony, they all have iPod connectors now. Most after-market radios do, period. Now with album art as the new big thing to show on the display, why can’t we just get the whole video on these screens? Altec Lansing has proven that it can be done no problem as have other brands with home docks that also produce video on TV screens from a cradled iPod. So what gives?

For the last few months, I’ve been wondering why this hasn’t happened. I know there isn’t any technical difficulties to work around especially since now Altec has shown us that it can be done. With the prevalence of LCD screens in cars and SUVs everywhere today, this just makes SO much sense to do. In fact, the first company to do it will probably sell tons of units. So where are they Alpine? Sony? Pioneer? Clarion? Eclipse? You all pioneered the LCD screen in cars so won’t one of you pioneer iPod video in the vehicle?

I saw Roadmaster USA’s scrolling message systems at CES in January. The license plate frame one was interesting, but this rear deck version is much more usable. With a larger display and an easier wire job, you’ll be sending drivers messages in no time. The Roadmaster Scrolling Digital License Plate Frame (Model RLPF100) and Scrolling Rear Deck Message System (Model RRDS100) both retail for $69 and both allow for personal messages to be entered. A great way to advertise a business on the go for sure. If you don’t have any insight (or you’re too lazy to key in the message), you can pick from one of 99 pre-set words and phrases such as, “Help me,” “Slow down,” “Turning left,” “Your lights aren’t working,” “Baby on Board”.

I can see this getting pretty rude and adding to road rage but at the same time, I do see a good value in this if you have a business. I could also be fun to see if people are paying attention by putting in your cell number and see if they call you.

CES has got it all and like any year since car audio has come to Vegas to take over CES’ North Hall, the industry wants to be heard with a bang, or in this case, a boom. With one manufacturer showing of sub-woofers that way over 300 pounds and vibrate the cloths on your body with each pump of Vanallia Ice (just kidding,) one has to wonder, who buys this stuff other than rappers? Looking at the over-the-top displays and sound equipment and asking the reps what the cost of all this stuff is makes you just smile and walk on. Too much, man, just too much.

It is nice to see that Batman had a bumpin’ system though the Monkies was just all engine. The endless display of various models from Porsche is very delicious and thankful the audio upgrades tasteful. The Turbo was gorgeous to admire. Mmm.

Now that the U.S. is catching onto this thing called Bluetooth that all the kiddies in the EU have enjoyed with an emense appetite for the last five years, we’re starting to get more and more fun and useful accessories. One such gadget is hands-free kits with built-in speakers and mics. Parrot has received a lot of attention here in the States for its devices, but I think Roadmaster has the right idea with the VR3.

The Roadmaster VR3 LCD Wireless Hands-Free Car Kit slips onto your cars sun visor instead of plugging into your cigerette lighter outlet like so many other hands-free kits do. To me, this seems a better spot for such a device as it allows the mic to be right in front of you as well as having the speaker closer to your ear. Further, it keeps your eyes looking up instead of down when making or receiving calls.

The VR3 comes packed. Along with the speaker phone and mic, this baby syncs with your Bluetooth phones phone book with a touch of a button. You’ll be able to view caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding and last number dialed all from its cool blue lit display. No worries on chucking out batteries when it dies as you simply plug in the charger to your cigarette lighter to juice up the lithium ion battery. All this for about $69. Oh ya, it also supports ringtones.

We’re told you can pretty much find this anywhere from superstores to car stores to retailers. We’ll see about getting a review unit and let you know our thoughts on it if we do.

We’ve seen a lot of iPod kits for the car in the last year. Some are good, some are just plain horrible. We’ve also seen some aftermarket in-dash units with modules that plug in the back of those DIN sized stereos and some are good and some are, yup, plain horrible. From Alpine to Pioneer to Panasonic, we’ve seen them.

With perfectly made-to-fit kits, you’d think an add-on unit like Harman Kardon’s drive+play wouldn’t have a chance against these guys, huh? Well you might be surprised to find out that fact is, HK may have played a total KO to these guys. After months of use, we were highly impressed with our drive+play. Read why.

Not to let a good thing settle in, Navman has quickly updated its entry model to the new F20 after only releasing the iCN 320 a mere few months ago earlier this year. The F20 thins out the the iCN 320 and adds many features without adding cost to the small GPS device. The $379.95 model comes preloaded with all current maps of the United States and is packed with goodies usually found on much higher priced GPS navigation devices.

“It is important for first time users to have a navigation product they can easily understand and completely trust,” said Kent Dickerson, director of sales, Navman USA. “Right out of the box, the F20 is ready to use, providing drivers with all of the features they need, in a simple product – at an affordable price.”

Users will be able to trust the 3.5 inch screen to accurately allow their finger to select addresses and POI information with the easy to use touch sensitive screen. Tele Atlas map data will keep you on the road, new and old, and dedicated buttons for nearby gas and parking facilities will help you locate such needed landmarks in a hurry. The high quality internal speaker assists in your non-visual navigation and the anti-glare screen will help you see clearly when you do need that visual navigation. Topping the new F20 off with the second-generation SiRFstar III chipset, you’ll acquire satellites faster than you can say, “How do we get to grandma’s house?”

The Navman F20 features a high quality, slim and portable design that weighs 7.1-ounces and measures 3.13-inches (H) x 4.57-inches (W) x 0.95-inches (D). Its integrated rechargeable Li-ION battery provides up to 3.5-hours of battery life allowing the F20 to function both inside and outside of a vehicle. The Navman F20 comes complete with a vehicle mounting bracket and vehicle power adapter. Available now at all fine electronic stores.

So I’m in the market to purchase a new vehicle and like my current two (my wife’s and my car,) I want iPod integration for it. I’ve done the FM modulator thing and am done with that. That’s a band-aid, not integration.

Not being too happy with my current Pioneer setup (it’s about three years old) and its limited functionality of the iPod through my once top-of-the-line Pioneer, I’m considering all brands and options. Consideration ain’t easy though, folks. While Apple’s “iPod Your Car” is a good start, with all the “Coming Soon” links under various car models, one quickly starts getting a sinking feeling. The After-Market Solutions link is a bit better, but it too lacks what a true “iPod Your Car” person would need: examples, demos, reviews. Research material.

Google isn’t much help, either, as FM modulators are the number one hit in the results set. Digging deeper through the web leaves you with little nuggets of gold. In fact, the leading authority on iPod stuff, iLounge, has not a single after market deck reviewed! If it does, I couldn’t find it.

Despairingly, I could have sworn I once tripped over a site that did indeed have a list of car stereos with built-in iPod integration but I couldn’t find it. Maybe someone via the comments will be able to better assist in locating that page.

While Apple does a good job getting you started, it just doesn’t do a good enough of one in really showing how your iPod could shine in your dash. I want to avoid dumping a few hundred dollars into a system to only find eight characters will display at a time and browsing through my 60 GB iPod takes for ever. I need someone to say, “Hey this is the bomb and replicates your iPod information to a T on the display.” Or if it’s on the other end of the spectrum, “This is a dog and I wouldn’t recommend it.” That’s what I, and you, need.

I spent some time in Circuit City on Labor Day and played with one Pioneer deck (the actual one I’m considering, the DEH-P6800MP) and while the iPod mini Circuit City had connected to it had nothing on it but the default Smart Playlists, it did give me an idea how it would handle. I was at least able to see that, sure enough, My Top 25 Rated Songs displayed on the OLED as “My Top 25 R”. It truncated even though it had plenty of room on the display. Ugh, what is Pioneers problem? Thankfully, Pioneer does give some indication how its upper end products will work with a nice Flash presentation on its site (which is down right now, hence the lack of a link.) Thing is, I’m not spending $2,200 on a head-unit for my iPod.

At this point, in all seriousness, Harmon Kardon’s drive+play is the best choice for the price. At $150, it’s the biggest bang for the buck. Hands down. I’ve got one in my wife’s truck and it’ll be coming to review real soon. We have loved it and how it replicates the iPod almost perfectly. Again, at $150, it’s just too incredible of deal for me to ignore and maybe I can just forget about wasting hours on the web for no real indication as to if the product I’m looking at won’t cut text off on the display or lag in its search.

Stay tuned, I’ll be revisiting this in the coming weeks for sure.

If you’re looking for a sweet charger for your car and your home, then you need to read our review on BoxWave‘s solution. It’s just straight up sweet! We love it and we know you’ll love it, too!